Monochrome
by Blue Quartz Foxy
Summary: Written in honor of tamaosonokokoroRiza's birthday!  'White and black bound by a cord of red. Oh what a horrid, tragic, and bloodied duo they made.' ItachiHinata one shot set during Leviathan


Monochrome

Notes: Yes, yes I've stared a new fan fic or rather a short ficlet. But with good reason this time, I swear! Recently one of my favorite reviewers and LJ friend had a birthday, actually this is a rather belated gift, but better late than never right? 'sweat drop'. So happy birthday to tamaosonokokoro-Riza!

Also, this one shot is 'loosely' connected to the 'Leviathan' saga, so it would be advisable that Leviathan is read first before reading this one shot.

Warning: Slightly AU, possible OOC-ness, mention of blood, gore, violence, and dark themes.

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Pearl-lavender eyes blinked slowly as she watched blood from another human being gather on his fingertips.

She watched as the ruby droplets crawled down smooth and pale digits. Her gaze then followed up to wrist that was small and had an elegant pallor to it. After the well-turned wrist though, the skin was swallowed by a black cloak.

Hinata's eyes roved from the sleeve, up the young man's arm, shoulder blade, until she was staring directly into his eyes.

The blood red stain was retreating from his eyes; the black pupils replaced the pin-wheel shaped stigma.

A thin black eyebrow arched in question, wrinkles formed along his forehead to match the lines impressed on opposite sides of his nose; jet-black hair framed the side of Itachi's face.

Hinata found herself, not for the first time, struck by her master's horrifying brand of beauty.

The girl had barely registered the fact that Itachi's foot falls were crunching dead leaves in their path as he approached her.

Hinata didn't even 'feel' how cool and slick his blood coated fingers were as he touched an unguarded cheek.

First, it was a caress, but then there was a 'crack' as a angry palm slapped against skin.

Hinata jerked back in recoil, her left hand trembling slightly as her own fingers touched the red mark Itachi had left behind.

Far from confused, Hinata lowered her gaze in shame; because she already knew that Itachi was displeased at her for something she honestly couldn't help.

She knew that Itachi hated it when he caught her looking at him.

'Don't look at me like that. Your eyes disgust me.' he had once said.

Hinata could not quite understand what he meant.

Itachi used her eyes to keep abreast of their many enemies and pursers. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't know ahead of time who or what was after him, so he would have less time to plan and to exact his attacks.

So, even though he found her eyes 'disgusting' Itachi still used them, and her, to his advantage.

'He needs me. He needs me. Itachi-san needs me.' Hinata kept chanting to herself.

Even if Itachi was a criminal, a deserter, and a murderer; Hinata took comfort in the thought that her services were required of someone.

That she was of some significance to another person, the only reassurance Hinata thought she would ever need.

And, if Itachi was so disgusted by her than why share his food and water with her if he would rather have her dead?

'He needs me…' Hinata thought as they prepared the camp.

That thought brought her comfort beyond measure because; she needed Itachi more than he 'needed' her.

So Hinata wanted to try her hardest to be useful to him, she wanted Itachi to keep her close.

After she had unrolled her sleeping mat, Hinata glanced over her shoulder to the boy murderer. Itachi was facing away from her, his face shrouded in shadows because he was away from the warm glow of the firelight.

Hinata's eyelids started to droop sleepily.

She was…so tired.

She and Itachi had taken out no less than five bounties in one day, five dead bodies and a large sum of money… so, all in all it had been a good day.

She wanted to sleep, but at the same time Hinata stared at Itachi's cloak-covered back.

Being that she was only a little girl, barely eight years old, Hinata knew about men…about women…and what made them different.

Itachi however, to her at least, seemed to surpass the boundaries of gender.

For all she cared, Itachi could have been a man, a woman, both, or just some genderless being.

What sex Itachi was mattered little to Hinata.

All that she cared about was that Itachi was strong, beautiful, dangerous, scary, and that Itachi was her master.

And to Hinata, her limited knowledge about Itachi was more than satisfying.

Because, the girl had long since promised herself that she would follow Itachi.

That she would die for him.

Would kill for him.

And, one day, she would kill him.

Why?

Just…because…

Hinata knew that while she loved Itachi- as much and as completely an eight year old girl could love another person- the former Hyuga was also aware of the fact that Itachi would- and had in the past- betray her in a heartbeat.

Kill before you yourself are endangered.

That was law number two in their unspoken code book.

Law one: Don't trust anyone.

With that in mind, Hinata easily drifted off to sleep.

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Once the Hyuga girl was asleep, Itachi looked over his shoulder back to her sleeping form.

Soon, it would be the one year anniversary of the Uchiha massacre.

A year since he challenged Sasuke.

Twelve months since he picked up this strange and stray girl.

Itachi had never intended on taking a live captive. Even if that thought had crossed his mind, Itachi knew he would have chosen his younger brother over the thin and weak waif from the Hyuga clan.

If Sasuke had been by his side, Itachi knew that he wouldn't have to worry about his younger sibling becoming stronger. Sasuke would have also learned to despise the clan and its practices as much as he himself did.

But just by recalling the look of absolute horror on the boy's face, the sorrow, the anger at being betrayed; Itachi already knew that Sasuke could not be 'saved' from the Uchiha clan or from Konohagakure.

The boy would be forever chained to his murdered clansmen. And even if Sasuke were to abandon Konohagakure; he would one day return and be welcomed back.

But, the girl child…

The Hyuga wasn't like Sasuke at all.

Itachi could remember how the girl- Hinata- looked at him; she was just as terrified as Sasuke. She had trembled in fright and pin-prick teardrops clung to her eyelashes.

Hinata…was just as much afraid of him, afraid of dying, as his younger brother had been, maybe even more so; because it was Itachi's fingers that had wrapped around her throat.

Yet, instead of looking away, instead of screaming for help, or even looking at him with a horrified expression- even as he held onto her neck tight enough to snap it- Hinata had openly stared at him.

As if…she was looking through him and had seen all there was to see.

Itachi knew, from the moment that his grip had grown slack against the child's neck that he had found someone…who was just like him.

Hinata was a simple, simpering, and scared little girl also had few, if any, sentimental ties to her clan and village.

So, whether it was pity or respect, Itachi released his grasp on the girl's neck. Letting her fall to the ground and was prepared to leave her behind, alive and mostly unharmed.

But then, she had to ruin things by following him.

He kept trying to get her to go away.

But…the child persistently clung to him refusing to go home.

'I…I'm not wanted there!' Hinata had once called out to him in the dark forest as they neared the border of Konohgakure.

Despite himself, Itachi allowed her to stay and follow.

Now whether that was a good decision…or a bad omen, it had yet to be seen.

Though, Itachi could tell that something had to change, namely how dependant Hinata was on him.

Even after he had all but sold her off, the girl was more determined than ever to stick close by his side.

She was, in a sense, his servant, pet, and pupil all rolled in to one- or so the girl claimed if anyone dared to ask.

Hinata's eyes would give him that same look time and time again.

The wide, in-awe expression, yet just underneath that bedazzled glare was something more serious lurking behind those nearly pupil less eyes.

Sasuke would have stared at him in open adoration, because until the massacre, the boy could find no fault in his older brother.

Hinata, however, for all her reverent stares and openly admission of servitude, Itachi couldn't shake the feeling that with each glance the girl was 'dissecting' him.

As if…she was merely waiting, quietly, biding her time until something happened.

At this, Itachi scoffed- perhaps his first and only mistake-.

He found it laughable to think that Hinata was that cunning or even capable of thinking in a calculating matter.

The girl was simple, slow, weak, and too wrapped up in her hero worship of him to think for herself, let alone concoct grand schemes.

This disregard that Itachi had for the small and 'weak' girl just might be his downfall…one day.

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White

And black.

Bound together by a cord of red.

Oh what a horrid, tragic, and bloodied duo they made.

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Notes: …-scurries away before Riza-san can kill her- I'm sorry if I turned out…well bad! It's been so long since I've written ANYTHING Itachi/Hinata related, so I'm more than a little bit rusty. Forgive me if your b-day gift isn't all that great. Anyway, thanks for reading!

Later!


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